Chapter 19: Elden
It had been two days since I last saw the city's endless gray sky, and I had finally gotten some real sleep. I couldn't remember the last time I felt this good. Smoosh noticed too, chuckling when I told him. Apparently, I'd been so out of it that I'd slept for nearly two days straight.
"Feeling good now, eh? Could've slept through an earthquake." He grinned, patting me on the back.
After a quick conversation, I decided to tell Smoosh about my plan. During those two days of rest, I'd been reflecting on how best to use the Eyes of Truth. Direct combat just didn't feel like my purpose. The Eyes were more powerful as a support; with their abilities, I could help others grow stronger. I told Smoosh my thoughts, and he nodded, his gaze thoughtful.
"I think you're onto something, kid," he said. "Might be your real strength."
With this new sense of purpose, I decided it was time to test my theory with Kail. He'd been around long enough to see me in battle, so he'd understand my decision. I found Kail and Michael waiting, expecting some routine training. Kail looked ready to jump into a sparring match.
"Actually," I told them, "I've been working on something a little different."
Kail raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. I explained that I wanted to tap into that strange, powerful form he'd shown during the fight with DJ. If we were facing people like DJ again, we'd need every advantage we could get. I wasn't sure it would work, but I was determined to try.
"Only one problem," I said, pointing at a cot in the corner. "You're going to need to lie down. This might knock both of us out."
Kail scoffed, but he complied, lying down while I placed my hand on his forehead, letting the Eyes pull me into his cognitive magic space.
What I found there was exactly what I'd hoped for: Kail, encased in bone marrow and surrounded by swords forged from bone, looking just as he had during that fight. But I wasn't alone with him. Nearby, a man sat on an anvil, calmly sharpening a blade made from bone. He looked like an older version of Kail, his hair a deep red and his eyes bright yellow.
The man looked up, showing mild interest. "Haven't had a visitor in a few centuries. You don't look Elden... not in the slightest."
"Elden?" I echoed, trying to keep my focus. This man radiated an intensity, one that even Kail didn't have.
He gave a dry chuckle. "It's before your time. I'm Zogratis, the greatest blacksmith of the Elden era. I made weapons from the bones of the powerful back then. But the gods, well... they didn't like that much." His gaze hardened, glancing down at his tools. "They put a hit on me and my wife. That's how it ended for us."
I was stunned. Gods? Weapons made of bone? This was far beyond anything I'd ever encountered. But I pushed the questions aside and got to the point.
"Zogratis," I began, "could I ask you to lend some of that power to Kail?"
Zogratis sighed, glancing over at Kail, encased in his bone armor. "He's family, so I suppose I owe him that much. Fine, boy. Take what you need."
I felt a strange pull, a surge of power flowing into Kail's form as I snapped back into the real world. Kail sat up, blinking, an unsteady grin on his face.
"Feel different?" I asked, half-smiling.
Kail nodded, lifting his hand and, with a focused look, conjuring a short sword made entirely of bone. The blade was sharp and solid, a symbol of his newfound strength. Pride swelled in my chest—my theory had worked.
But just as we were about to test it further, a sound outside caught my attention. I told Kail I'd be right back, and I stepped into the street.
There, a short distance away, I saw someone I recognized: Softie, being held down by a brown-haired man in a disheveled tuxedo with a loosened tie. The man turned to me, coolly assessing me as he tightened his grip on Softie.
"What are you doing?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
The man smirked, introducing himself with a hint of arrogance. "Rich," he said. "An officer, aiming to bring YUGEN down."
